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There are three shows that explain why Jacquemus has become the reference creator he is today: the one he made in his beginnings, which was not a parade as such: Jacquemus en grève (on strike), a nod to the passion of the French to strike and a tribute to those outfits of protesters that the designer found to be glamorous. The second is the one he made in the lavender fields of Provence when the brand turned 10 years old, in 2019. The last one, a few weeks ago in Versailles, one of the most privileged places in France.

This is the story of the small fish that, based on work, originality and talent, puts itself at the height of the biggest. It is the story of Simon Porte Jacquemus. He is 33 years old and in a short time has become a reference of French fashion and one of the most viral and media designers.

Rauw Alejandro attended Jacquemus' Paris show last JuneAFP

A little less than 15 years ago he created, without financing, his own fashion brand in a universe full of big firms. When she did, almost as a therapeutic exercise after her mother's death, she barely knew how to sew. He was self-taught, followed his instinct and knew how to handle well the tools (social networks and online sales) that have allowed him to attract attention and place himself at the top.

His name is Simon Daniel Elie Porte and he was born in Salon de Provence, a city in Provence, in the 90s. He grew up in a humble family, in those Provencal fields of perfume flowers where then, years later, he has planted a red carpet to show his designs. At the age of 18 he left his village to study at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Moda in Paris.

"My parents were farmers, although they were also artists, my mother passionate about decoration and my father a poet in love with Gainsbourg," he said in an interview with Le Parisien, in 2013, after showing for the first time at Paris Fashion Week. He was still an emerging designer.

The Beckhams, as stylish as everAFP

She left her fashion studies in Paris to work as an assistant art director for a magazine, but also dropped out. He began his career as a designer after the death of his mother, who was, in his words, "an electroshock". He created his brand with her maiden name: Jacquemus. He was 20 years old.

He created it alone, without financial backing, and that forced him to bet on simplicity and ingenuity. She wore fabrics from a workwear supplier, with simple, but original cuts. At first it is his friends who wear his designs and he has said that he was looking for the opportunity to meet, at parties or events, with the influential press of fashion magazines.

He knew how to exploit two tools that have been key in the development of his brand: online sales and social networks. In 2012 he was invited to show at Paris Fashion Week. He was 22 years old and became the youngest creator to have participated in this reference event in the world of fashion.

In 2015 he received another push: the special jury prize of the prestigious Prix LVMH, an international competition to promote young fashion creators promoted by Delphine Arnault, the daughter of French billionaire Bernard Arnault, owner of LVMH, empire owner of brands such as Christian Dior or Louis Vuitton.

In 10 years his brand has become a benchmark of his time, that of the networks. In a recent interview with the newspaper Le Monde Jacquemus confessed to having already rejected "several purchase proposals" of his brand. "It's not the money that matters to me, but freedom and being happy with what I do."

Arón Piper at the JacquemusAFP parade

The Jacquemus brand is the essence of France. The countryside is always present in his staging. His designs exude his passion for cinema and those of his latest collection are inspired by Diana of Wales and Marie Antoinette.

"I like to tell stories. I find it amazing to do a parade in a lavender field. I also like communication, marketing, the power of the image that can generate hundreds of thousands of euros in sales in a day," he told Le Monde in an interview.

He has the distinction of knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2021. On a personal level, in 2022 she married Marco Maestri in a village in Provence. His company remains independent, with a staff of more than fifty people.

Beyoncé, at her recent concert in Marseille, wore a look made to measure by the designer. At the parade a few weeks ago in Versailles, he placed the celebrities attending the event in boats. There were the Beckhams or Monica Bellucci. He returned to impact with a staging with bucolic touches in which he returns to pay homage to those origins. Parading in Versailles already marks a status, there Christian Dior and Chanel did it in their day.

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